Hacking Mr. CEO by Anna Hackett
Pancakes
Mav
Mav tried to control the rage vibrating inside him.
He held Remi tight to him as she spoke to the frightened kids. He kissed the top of her head. “I need to make some calls.”
Mav called his head of security, and shot a text off to Vander Norcross. The man owned a security firm in San Francisco and had recommended Boone. He was former military, an all-round badass, and he’d helped out both Zane and Liam.
Boone appeared.
“Shouldn’t you be in an ambulance?” Mav asked.
The man grunted. “I’m fine. And if that paramedic comes near me with that mask again…”
“Thank you,” Mav said.
Another grunt. The former soldier scowled at the building. The firefighters almost had the blaze under control.
“I should’ve caught it sooner.”
“It’s two-thirty in the morning, Boone. You were here. You helped Remi and her family. This is The Shadow’s doing. He sent Remi a picture of the two of us.”
“Punishment.” A muscle in Boone’s jaw tightened. “The guy knows she’s working with you.”
“Yeah. I made some calls. I’m going to put her family in a safe house upstate, with security, until this is over. Can you go with them? Be in charge of the team?”
Boone’s gaze darkened. “I work better alone.” He looked to where Remi was holding the little blonde girl on her hip. “But yeah, I’ll do it. What about Remi?”
“She’ll be staying with me.”
A faint smile slipped across Boone’s face. “I figured as much.”
Remi had moved over to check on Mama. The woman was now conscious, resting on the stretcher with a mask on.
Mav joined them.
“Mav.” Remi pressed her face to his chest and he ran a hand up her back. “She’s going to be all right.” There were tears in Remi’s eyes.
Mav saw how Mama was watching them.
“Remi, I want to send your family to a safe place. A nice house, upstate. I’m going to send Boone and a security team with them.”
She bit her lip. “It’s too much—”
“No. The Shadow did this. I promised you that I’d keep them safe.” He cupped her face. “Keep you safe.”
“Thank you.” She nibbled her lip. “Boone will stay with them?”
“Yes.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Boone stepped closer. “I’ll go with Mama to the hospital, and take her to the safe house when she’s released.”
Mav nodded. “And I have a team en route to collect your brother and the kids.”
Remi nodded tiredly.
“You’re staying with me,” Mav added.
She met his gaze for a long beat. “Okay.”
Over the next thirty minutes, Mav dealt with the cops and firefighters. Remi hugged all the kids and helped load them into a black van that had arrived, driven by Mav’s security team.
She had an intense conversation with Steve before the family left.
“Get your things,” Mav said.
He followed her up the stairs to her loft. He eyed her small space, liking the industrial vibe, and all the color.
Pure Remi.
She packed a small suitcase, and then put her laptop into a bag. She looked exhausted; her face was smeared with soot.
“Come on, angel.” He led her out to his car.
She was silent on the ride to his place. He turned onto his street.
“You live in SoHo?” she said.
“Yes.”
He pulled into the garage of his building and grabbed her bags. She looked around. He pressed a button for the elevator.
She eyed him. “I thought you’d go for sleek and modern.”
“I’ll show you Zane’s place sometime.” Mav shrugged. “I like a little history. I like this place. It’s solid, sturdy. I like the cast iron buildings in SoHo. This one dates from the late 1800s.”
They stepped into the elevator. He touched the button for the fifth floor of the seven-story building.
“Do you own the entire building?”
“Yes, but only live on the top three floors. The rest is rented.”
“Only three floors. Got it.”
“I hear that sarcasm.”
The doors opened into his living area, and her lips parted. She walked in, taking in the brick walls that had been painted white, contrasting with the black frames around the windows. She wandered to the black-tile fireplace.
“This is the Great Room,” he said. “Or at least that’s what the designer called it.”
She looked up at the skylights. “It must be drenched with light during the day.”
He nodded.
She wandered into the kitchen and gasped. “Naomi would love this. Wow.” She turned taking in the gray, floor-to-ceiling cabinets, the enormous island topped with black stone.
On the other side of a long, rustic table was another fireplace. She glanced out to the terrace—there was an outdoor table, and chairs clustered around the outdoor fireplace.
“How many terraces?” she asked.
“Six.”
“Jeez.”
“Come on. I bet you’d like a shower.”
She nodded, not bothering to hide her desire for that.
They headed up the oval-shaped staircase, also in black. He saw her taking it all in. Strangely, he felt nervous. He wanted her to like it.
She paused at a window. It gave a perfect view of the cobblestone, SoHo street below, and the row of historic buildings lining it.
He hadn’t wanted to be on top of a skyscraper. He hadn’t wanted his home to feel like a hotel.
“I like your place, Mav. It feels like home.”
Warmth filled him. He led her into his bedroom.
She scanned the huge, gray bed, the gray walls, and the large rug and two comfy armchairs arranged in front of the fireplace.
She smiled and pointed. “You brood here, right? In front of the fireplace.”
He set her bags down and slapped her ass. He was glad to see her smiling. “I don’t brood.”
She snorted.
“Get in the shower. I’ll make you some tea, or something.”
“Tea? Do you know how to make tea?”
“How hard can it be? Hot water and tea leaves.”
She snorted again.
“I see your sass is returning.”
She met his gaze. “Because I feel safe. And I know my family is safe.” She swallowed. “Thank you, Mav.”
He felt itchy. “It’s nothing.”
“Not to me. To me it’s something.” Her face hardened. “The Shadow tried to kill my family.” The words exploded out of her. She threw her arms up. “God, that asshole.”
“Hey.” Mav took her hand. “Your family is fine.”
“I’m going to make The Shadow pay. For this, for whatever he has planned. You and I will track him down and skewer the prick.”
“I like you bloodthirsty.” It beat shell-shocked and worried. “Now, go and clean the soot off. You hungry?”
“Mav, it’s four AM.”
“So?” He often stayed up working late, and ate at odd hours.
“Can you even cook?” she asked.
“I’ll try not to kill us.”
With a smile, she wandered into his bathroom. He heard her moan. “Look at this marble. And this bath tub.”
Smiling, Mav headed to the kitchen, fighting the knowledge that she was in his bathroom and taking her clothes off.
He blew out a breath. She was hurt. Upset. He wouldn’t take advantage.
It might kill him, but he’d take care of her, and nothing else.
* * *
Remi
I stepped out of Mav’s amazing shower.
The guy didn’t only have one, he had two showers in the master bathroom.
I dried off, so glad to be warm and clean. As I wrapped the towel around my wet hair, I spotted a fluffy, white robe hanging off a nearby hook and slipped it on.
It was way too big for me. Robes always were. They were not designed for short people. I stared at the tub and imagined lounging in it. It was set in front of huge, floor-to-ceiling windows that looked onto a small terrace ringed by greenery. No one would be able to see in.
I swiveled and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like I was thirteen.
Oh, well. Mav had seen me dressed up, covered in soot and tears, and now makeup-free.
I hoped Mama and the others were okay. I pulled in a deep breath. I would make The Shadow regret this.
I tightened the belt on the robe and then tied my hair up. Then I went to find Mav.
Quietly, I padded downstairs. I loved his place. It made my loft look like a closet. I heard him in the kitchen, and paused in the doorway.
There was something about seeing a man, especially a big, muscular one, in the kitchen. He set a steaming mug down on the island, then turned back to the frypan on a giant, shiny stove. He was making pancakes.
“I love pancakes.”
He glanced over his shoulder and took in the robe, something hungry lurking in his gaze.
“Your tea.” He jerked his head. “Pancakes are nearly ready.”
I sat on a stool at the island, rearranging the robe to cover my legs. “Did your mom teach you to cook?”
“Yes. She swore her kids, boys included, would cook. I’m no chef, but I don’t starve.”
I sipped my tea. It was soothing. “But you’d prefer to be in your lab.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have a lab here?”
“No, I’d work twenty-four hours a day, if I did. I have a home office, and a decent home computer system. After the pancakes, I’ll show you.”
“Ooh, the big, bad tech billionaire wants to impress me with his system.”
His lips quirked.
I loved every little smile I earned from this man.
He set a plate of pancakes down in front of me, and I found that I was ravenous. I tipped maple syrup liberally over mine, and Mav ate his standing up.
A phone dinged and I glanced sideways. I saw my phone resting on the counter.
“I got it out of your bag,” Mav said.
My belly curdled. It was a message from The Shadow.
I don’t take a double-cross lightly.
There was another picture of Mav and I attached.
“Fuck off.” I started typing.
“Remi—”
I shook my head.
Asshole. You tried to kill my family. You made an ENEMY.
There was no response.
I leaped off my stool and paced. “Who just tries to kill innocent people?”
“Bad guys.”
I turned and almost ran into Mav.
“I’m so angry.”
He took my hand and squeezed. “And together, we’ll make him pay.”
I nodded.
“Come on.”
He led me out of the kitchen and down the hall.
And into an office.
I gasped. “Oh my God.”
The room was a hacker’s wet dream. There were screens all over the wall, and a curved desk, with two gamer chairs.
“Computer, grant system access to Remi Solano.”
“Please place your hand on the scanner,” a modulated, female voice said. “Initiate voice sample.”
“Is that the voice of the Star Trek computer?” I asked.
Mav nodded at me.
“Cool.”
“Say your name.” He pointed at a scanner pad on the desk.
“Uh, Remi Solano.” I put my hand on the scanner and it flashed.
“Access granted,” the computer said.
The screens displayed his security feeds. I saw all his windows and doors had pressure sensors, that showed up on the schematics for his home-security system.
He lived in a high-tech castle.
I spied the computer unit beneath the desk.
“Mav, what is that?”
“An Ultra600.”
My pulse raced. “But you’ve only got 300s on the market.”
He smiled. “This is an experimental prototype. I own the company, remember?”
I sat down and tapped on the keyboard. “This is beautiful.” I cruised through his system.
Mav leaned against the desk. “Hello? Remember me?”
I rolled my eyes. “How’s the tracker that we put on Rayner?”
He leaned over and touched the keyboard.
I studied the info and frowned. “He hasn’t made contact with The Shadow yet. Damn.”
“He will. We just need to be patient.”
I thought of Mama, the burning house, Steve missing work, the kids uprooted and missing school.
Dammit. I didn’t want to be patient. I wanted The Shadow to pay, and for this to be over.
Mav’s phone chimed. “Message from Boone. Everyone is fine. They’re all at the safe house, and the kids are mowing into McDonald’s breakfast. Mama is resting comfortably.”
I released a long breath. “I can never thank you enough, Mav.”
“You don’t need to.” He turned away.
“Hey.” I grabbed his arm. “Don’t be grumpy. You’re doing a good thing. Accept my thanks.”
“Fine.”
His scowl made me smile. “So gracious.”
“It’s been a rough night. We should grab some sleep.”
I snorted. “There is no way I could sleep now.”
“TV?”
I cocked my head. “Have you got some games on this fancy computer?” I dropped into the chair.
“Yes, although I have a game console in my movie room.”
“Of course, you have a movie room. No, let’s play here.” She smiled. “We can make another bet.”
He sat and arched a brow.
“If you win, do you still want that kiss?” she asked.
I saw the struggle on his face. My gut turned sour. Had he changed his mind about wanting me? Had all this killed his desire?
“Remi…” he said carefully. “You’ve had a bad night. Your family was hurt and threatened. That’s a lot to deal with, and I won’t take advantage of you.”
I studied his rugged face, his strong jaw. “You’re being noble.”
His scowl deepened. “No, I’m not. I’m just not being an asshole.”
“Actually, I don’t seem to mind when you’re an asshole.”
His gaze fastened on me. I scooted my chair closer.
“I just kind of like you as you are. So, let’s game. If you win, you get a kiss.” I crossed my legs and the robe parted. Oops. I accidentally showed off a lot of thigh. His gaze jerked down.
“What are you wearing under that?” he growled.
“Absolutely nothing.”
He growled again, his hot gaze back on my face. My belly felt alive with flames.
“If I win,” I said. “I’m going to fuck your brains out, right here in that chair. Deal?”
